McLaren walking a ‘tightrope’ as Toto Wolff casts team orders verdict

In 2024, McLaren is grappling with a team order dilemma.

Toto Wolff accepts McLaren are between a “rock and a hard place” as they weigh up the “best” driver on the day versus the Drivers’ Championship.

Despite McLaren making progress against Red Bull in both championships at Monza, Lando Norris could have ended Sunday’s race being 59 points behind, rather than 62 points behind Max Verstappen.

Toto Wolff says McLaren are ‘walking’ a ‘tightrope’

Indeed, he could have been behind by just 52 points if McLaren had not only instructed Oscar Piastri to allow him to pass at the Italian Grand Prix, but also maintained their 1-2 position with Norris leading in Hungary.

Wolff believes that Andrea Stella, his McLaren counterpart, made a mistake on Sunday, at a point when McLaren could realistically challenge Red Bull for both the Constructors’ and drivers’ titles based on their current trajectory.

“I believe that as a racing team that is suddenly competing at the forefront, we find ourselves in a difficult position. This is because, like us, they are racers,” he said to the media, which included PlanetF1.com, at Monza.

“We aim to ensure the most qualified individual prevails. However, when this process begins to disrupt functionality and negatively affect team performance, we must consider how to respond.”

The team often loses because, while freezing positions and implementing team orders may not align with our racing spirit, it is necessary for the rational side to take precedence.

In the end, you wouldn’t want to lose a championship because of a shortfall of just three or five points, which you could have easily achieved. Hence, managing this delicate balance can be challenging, and there is no universally accepted method to deal with it.

Papaya rules and the papaya F1 2024 battle

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Stella, however, has since conceded McLaren may have to favour Norris in the coming races as while both drivers can “mathematically” win the title, Norris is the “best position from a numbers point of view“.

He continued, “We are competing against Max Verstappen, so it’s essential that if we are to assist one driver, we should choose the one in the most advantageous position.”

Wolff believes that Stella comprehends what’s at risk.

“Andrea understands sports better than anyone else. He has witnessed everything play out multiple times at Ferrari,” he added.

“He possesses the spirit of a racer, resistant to interference and craving for pure competition. But I believe they will reach a decision about how to manage this situation after this race.”

We initially introduced the rules of engagement, but later rephrased it to ‘racing intent’ as the term ‘rules’ seemed too stern for the drivers.

Ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix, McLaren discussed the ‘papaya rules’, which essentially are the guidelines for maintaining a fair and clean race. The team emphasizes on these rules to ensure that both cars score points.

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